DNA Sampling

[babrepti]

hey armata

spending whole of december at cape vidal (part of greater st lucia wetlands), deep sea fishing , do removal there for parks board, also look for snakes, get loads , more than willing to help, just need vials and forms, let me know how i can get . .cheers

[armata]

Many thanks, just PM me with your mailing address.

Oh, and all you others need your e mail, it will make things easier in the future

Thanks all.

[Bushviper]

WW would you like some locality specific venoms for this purpose or do you have enough? If not how much would you need and in what form would it be the easiest.

[armata]

SORRY TO SHOUT -

BUT ALL THOSE WHO HAVE VOLUNTEEREDTO TAKE PART - PLEASE PM ME WITH YOUR E MAIL
WILL THEN SEND FOLDER CONTAING COVERING LETTER - PROTOCOLS- AND EXCEL FORM

Thank you

[babrepti]

Hey Hey

email is : babrepti@hotmail.com

Just let me know what else you need

cheers

[armata]

barepti - did you send me your mailing address and full name? getting confused now.
Am sending folder on CD re protocols/form with vials.

Thanks

[armata]

You have cleaned me out guys, this is all I have left - well done!!

Got some more coming though

[babrepti]

sent you pm with all the particulars

[Axel]

Thanks to everyone for the great response to this thread. More tubes will be on the way this morning!

[Axel]

WW would you like some locality specific venoms for this purpose or do you have enough? If not how much would you need and in what form would it be the easiest.

BV - this could be very useful in the future, as I have been chatting to the guys at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine about looking at geographic variation in puff adder venom composition, which would tie in nicely with my genetics work.

[WW]

WW would you like some locality specific venoms for this purpose or do you have enough? If not how much would you need and in what form would it be the easiest.

BV - this could be very useful in the future, as I have been chatting to the guys at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine about looking at geographic variation in puff adder venom composition, which would tie in nicely with my genetics work.

Late reply, but yes, definitely. As Axel says, the venom is probably better used to look for variation in the venom profile itself than as a source of DNA. Clearly, with very extensive genetic variation in southern African puff adders, it would be highly desirable (especially medically!) to find out if there is pronounced geographic variation in venom composition - after all this could potentially affect how well the antivenom works in different parts of the country and beyond.

Obviously, NOBODY who does not have extensive experience with venom extraction should attempt this procedure! It's about the most dangerous thing you can do with venomous snakes, and puff adders are a notoriously difficult species to extract venom from - at least into a vial for future use, getting some into your fingers is very easy.

Cheers,

WW

[Bushviper]

So must the venom go into the vials of alcohol as well?

[armata]

The important thing is to keep each sample separate whether dessicated or otherwise, could be a workload. I have only collected venom when it was pooled, Axel and WW will have to explain.

[WW]

So must the venom go into the vials of alcohol as well?

NOOOOOOO!!!!!

More seriously, no, alcohol would destroy many of the proteins in the venom, which are of course the thing one would be interested in. For venom analyses, the venom needs to be desiccated as rapidly as possible to stop the various proteolytic enzymes from destroying each other. The usual procedure is to lyophilise (freeze-dry) it, but that needs some pretty special equipment - not the sort of thing the average person has sitting in their kombuis cupboard. Second best is drying over silica gel. This is the stuff you get in those tea-bag like cushions that come with camera gear etc., and can be obtained in larger quantities from chemical suppliers. Just keep it in an airtight jar and pipette the venom into open tubes, and stick them in the gel (actually a coarse powder), and they will dry out in a matter of hours (we wouldn't need much, so a small amount per specimen would be ample).

Samples for individual snakes would be most useful for us, since they would allow us to look at individual as well as between-population variation. To be honest, if this is not a procedure that you carry out as a matter of your normal procedures, then it is probably best left for us to do during a visit.

Thanks very much for the offer!

WW

[Bushviper]

Okay I have those crystals that turn from pink to blue if they are moist. I also have a huge airtight jar with a glass lid which will work nicely.

If I am bored and get these snakes in I will have a look if it can be done safely. It is only Puff adders that you need or other stuff like Snouted cobras and Mozambique spitters too as they have a fair range too?

I have heard about this "visit" from you guys for such a long time I am begining to think I should rather wait for Santa Claus.